The Class Divide
by Lilybookworm13
Summary: Isobel is a first class lady and engaged to be married to in her opinion a complete idiot. Ellie is a steerage girl who dreams of a better life in America. When their paths cross on the Titanic they discover that they have a lot in common. After all how many other girls have fallen in love with the ship's junior officers?
1. A Meeting in Belfast City

Ellie McCann stood outside the shipping office beside Belfast port. It was sunny and though she should have been warm she was freezing, as she was standing in the shadows of a giant known as the Titanic. She would be on it in a few days, it was hard to believe.

" Hurry up Peter," she muttered to herself. She looked at the door and sighed, her brother was taking forever. She turned around to look at the ship again.

She could remember the day they started work on it. There was nothing there back then. It was so big and wonderful and it had only taken them three years to build.

" Are you alright Miss?" Ellie turned around to see a young man standing in front of her.

" Yes, I'm fine. I am just waiting on my brother," she said, smiling.

" Have you been waiting long?" He asked.

" I don't think so, I've been too busy looking at the ships to notice the time go by," she laughed and he nodded. He looked to the Titanic and smiled.

" It's amazing, isn't it. Unsinkable they say."

" I don't believe it. No ship can be called unsinkable."

" Titanic is. It is the best ship in the world and it has the best officers."

" I presume you're an officer then?"

" Sixth Officer James Moody." Ellie got her first good look at him as he took off his hat and bowed. He had brown hair, that was kept fairly short and green eyes that gleamed with mischief. He was quite tall, Ellie guessed nearly six foot, and was well built.

James stood straight again and got a closer look at the girl he had been admiring as he walked up the path. Her long brown hair was tied back but a few stubborn hairs fell around her face. Her eyes were brown as well and twinkled when she smiled.

" May I ask your name?" James asked, making the silence between them disappear.

" Elizabeth, or Ellie," she said, quietly.

" It's nice to meet you Ellie, and I hope I will see you on the ship, but I'm afraid I have to go. I'm already ten minutes late for the officers meeting," James said.

" I'm sorry if I kept you," Ellie said.

" It's fine. I'll see you in a few days then," he said, and Ellie nodded as he ran into the shipping office. A few minutes later Peter McCann walked out of the shipping office and took his younger sister's arm.

" We get on in Queenstown on the eleventh," he said.

" I can't wait. It's so exciting," Ellie said.

" It'll be great, it's a new start for all of us," he said, as they walked towards their home.

" Andy's so excited, I think Katie is too but it's hard to tell sometimes."

" The doctors in America will know how to make her speak."

" I think she chooses not to speak."

" Don't be an eejit," her brother replied.

" I'm not an eejit. It is possible," Ellie said, folding her arms.

After a few more minutes they arrived home, home was a room in a tenement house that was shared with eight other families.

" I'll get Aga if you find Andy and Katie," Peter said, before he ran into the house. Ellie passed the house and walked towards the green, where the neighbourhood children usually played.

" Andy, Katie, time to come home," Ellie yelled to the group of children. Andy ran out, gripping Katie's hand. Most people would presume that they were twins because they looked so similar: fair hair and green eyes and both had freckles across their pale button noses. But there was two years between them.

" When are we going Ellie?" Andy asked, as they walked along the street.

" Tomorrow," she replied, a smile forming on her face. The children grinned.

" I can't wait. Right Katie?" Andy said, and Katie nodded.

" We'll go home and pack our bags and then we can go first thing tomorrow morning," Ellie said, grabbing Andy's hand as they crossed the road. The three raced back to the house and went inside.

" Good evening Mrs Johnson," Ellie said, as they passed the crabby old woman who lived in the room below them. The old woman ignored them and Andy laughed as they went upstairs. Ellie knocked on their door and Peter opened it.

" He's on the floor by the window," he said, talking about their drunken father.

" Asleep?" Ellie checked.

" Possibly dead," Peter said.

" Good, now go get your things and into bed," Ellie said, pushing her younger siblings into the room. She walked in behind them and saw Aga sitting at the table, there was a bag at her feet.

" We're really going. It's really happening," Ellie said, smiling as she sat beside the girl who was practically her sister.

" I can't wait to leave," Aga said.

" I don't want Blob growing up here. It's getting worse, I don't see why Home Rule is so important."

" Stop calling him blob. I thought we agreed that he was Dominic?" Peter said, sitting opposite his fiancée.

" I think it's going to be a girl, so I am not calling her Dominic," Aga replied.

Ellie watched the discussion between the two. She had never seen two people in love like they were. They were going to get married in America.

" What will you call her then?" Ellie asked.

" I've always liked Susannah," Aga said.

" So it's Dominic for a boy and Susannah for a girl?" Ellie said, and they nodded.

" But it's going to be a boy," Peter said.

" It's a girl," Aga said.

" Are you going to argue like this until September?" Ellie asked.

" Yes," they said.

" Ellie, tell us a story," Andy called from the only bed in the room. Ellie stood up and walked over to the bed. She took off her shoes and sat at the bottom of the mattress.

" Have you ever heard about the children of Lir?" Ellie said, she had never told them this one before. The two shook their heads and she began to tell the story.


	2. Last Time in Paris

Isobel looked out her hotel window for the last time, she would never see the Eiffel Tower again. She didn't want to go home.

" Issy, are you ready?" Henrietta burst into the room and Isobel rolled her eyes.

" You know I hate that name Ettie," she said, to her younger half-sister.

" Let's go. There is a surprise for you outside, it is from Gilbert," Henrietta said, smiling. Isobel nodded and followed her sister out of the room.

Today they were travelling to Cherbourg and then they would board the Titanic which would take them home to New York.

Isobel did not want to go home. Home meant fancy balls and boring society dinners and Gilbert, the man she was being forced to marry.

" Hurry Issy," Henrietta said.

The Evans sisters were complete opposites, Henrietta wanted a rich husband and to spend her life in high society. Isobel wanted a man who would love her and she didn't care if he was rich or poor as long as she was happy. And she would not be happy with Gilbert.

Isobel walked out of the hotel after Henrietta and rolled her eyes.

" I thought he had already went back home," Isobel whispered.

" He changed his mind. He's going to travel home with us," Henrietta said. " Isn't it wonderful."

" Splendid," Isobel muttered. She walked over to the man and smiled falsely. " Hello Gilbert."

" Good afternoon my dear, I decided to wait a few days before returning home. It was a nice break from work," Gilbert Walsh said, kissing her cheek.

" You should have came with us yesterday, we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower," Henrietta said.

" I met some old friends in town," he said. More like spending the day in a room with a girl he paid for. " But I will come the next time." Isobel tried not to roll her eyes as she climbed into the car by herself, ignoring her fiancée's hand.

When the three got into the car Henrietta kept the conversation going with very little input from anyone else. It was the only thing Isobel loved about her sister, the fact that she could talk to a brick wall, and that she was gullible enough to believe that it actually rained cats and dogs!

On the train Isobel sat reading Pride and Prejudice, it was one of her favourites and it was her mother's. It was what she was given when she died. She stared at the inscription on the front page.

_My Belle _

_You can learn many things from this novel and I know you will devour it in the same way you read every book. While you are too young to understand it now wait ten years, and it will become a favourite of yours as it is of mine. You are only four but I can see that you will grow up to be very proud, I want you to do what you want with your life. Don't listen to anyone else, especially not your papa. _

_Love always,_

_Mama. _

It had been seventeen years since her mother died and she barely remembered her but every day she read that page and tried to remember something about her mother.

" Isobel, we're here," Henrietta said. Isobel marked her book and stood up. Gilbert grabbed her arm and they got of the train.

" When do we get on the ship?" Isobel asked.

" This afternoon," Gilbert said, smiling at her. Isobel nodded and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. " I do apologise but I have promised to have lunch with a friend." Isobel nodded, knowing where he was really going. She thought all men were the same, none actually cared about the woman they were supposed to love.

* * *

Isobel and Henrietta sat in a small cafe looking up at the ship.

" It's so exciting," the younger giggled.

" Yes," Isobel said. She looked at the clock sitting in the cafe and sighed. " We should get on now. They are closing the gangways in twenty minutes."

" Shouldn't we wait on Gilbert?" Henrietta asked. Isobel shook her head and stood up, grabbing her purse.

" He won't miss it. Don't worry," Isobel said. Though she did want him to miss the boat. She could hardly spend a few hours in his company, she would never last a week.

" If you're sure," Henrietta said, and they walked towards the ship. They had never seen a ship so large. The two walked up the first class gangway and stopped at the top where two officers were standing. Isobel took out their tickets and handed them to the officer closest to her.

" B-18," he said. " I'll show you the way. Think you can survive on your own Moody?" He looked at the other officer

who laughed and nodded.

" It's not the first ship I've been on Lowe," he said.

" You would have fooled me. This way ladies," the officer called Lowe said.


	3. Chapter 3

Ellie stood in the centre of the room and checked that they had everything. There was a groan from under the window and she turned around. Her father sat up and looked at her.

" Morning Da.. I'm just going to the shops," she said, walking backwards to the door.

" Where's everyone Eilís?" He asked, grumpily.

" Work and school Da," she replied, ignoring the fact that he used the Irish version of her name. " I'll be back in a bit." She walked out of the room and ran down the stairs.

" Da's awake," she whispered to Peter, who was waiting at the door.

" We need to hurry then. Aga's at the station with the kids," he said, and she nodded.

" When does the train go?" Ellie asked, taking a case from her brother.

" Ten minutes," he said, as they walked to the station.

They were glad as they walked down the street for the last time. They would never have to see their father again or hear the neighbours calling them names. It would be a new start.

* * *

The group of five walked down the small street towards the dock in Queenstown. The sun reflected against the rain on the pavement and Aga watched as Andy eyed the puddles curiously.

" Don't think about it Andrew," she said.

" But.." He started.

" You are not getting on the greatest ship in the world sopping wet," she said.

" Ellie," Andy cried, and Ellie looked at him.

" Why can't I jump in the puddles?" He asked.

" Because you'll get all wet," she said, basically repeating what Aga had said.

" It's not fair," he said, folding his arms.

" You think that's not fair, why don't you try carrying these cases," Peter said, looking at his younger brother. There were only two cases, but both were full of things that they would need and so was the bag that Ellie was carrying.

" There it is. I can see the funnel," Andy shouted, as he saw his first glimpse of the Titanic. He had seen it before, but it seemed even better now because they were getting on it.

" It's big, isn't it?" Ellie said, staring at the ship.

" Come on. Hurry," Andy said, he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her along.

" Slow down Andy," Peter called, from behind them. The little boy didn't listen and kept running.

" Andy, stop running," Ellie said, smiling as they reached the gangway. He stopped and looked at her.

" But we're nearly there," he said. As Aga, Katie and Peter reached them Andy took off up the gangway.

" He can't get anywhere. I have the ticket," Peter laughed.

" Then we should go before they think he's a stowaway," Aga laughed. Ellie nodded and they walked on to the ship.

" Are you the captain?" Andy stood by the doors talking to one of the ship's officers.

" No, I'm an officer. And who are you?"

" Andy. I'm going to America."

" Are you excited?"

" Yes. We're going to be rich."

" Are you?"

" Yep, cause Peter's going to be a carpenter and he'll make loads of money and then Katie will be better and we'll live in a castle."

" Andrew, I hope your not being a bother." Andy looked down the gangway at Ellie.

" I'm not," he shouted. " That's my sister Ellie. She says I'm annoying but I think she's annoying but she tells good stories."

Ellie walked up and took her brother's hand.

" I'm sorry, he's always running ahead," she said. The sixth officer looked away from the boy and smiled.

" It's fine," James said, he could hardly believe that he had seen her again. Though he wanted to he didn't expect to. Ellie stared at him, unsure of what to say.

" Can you show me the ship?" Andy asked.

" Not today, what about tomorrow morning?" James asked.

" Can I Ellie?" Andy turned to looked at his sister and she nodded.

" You can come if you would like," James said, smiling at Ellie.

" I'd love to," Ellie said, with a smile.

" Come on you two, we need to find our cabin," Peter called from behind them.

" We'll see you tomorrow then," Ellie said, before she walked away. She was already thinking of the next morning.


End file.
